Politics
Niger crisis: Don urges ECOWAS to prioritize diplomatic solutions
He stressed the need for the Commission to embrace dialogue and diplomatic response to the situation.
“The best way is for the leaders to sit down to negotiate through diplomatic response to achieve an amicable political solution.
“In some cases you buttress your diplomacy with a show of force but the most stable way of resolving the crisis is through dialogue.
“This is not the first time we are having similar things, there are a lot of instances when either ECOWAS, African Union (AU) or United Nations promote dialogue and negotiations between the coup leaders and the third force want to negotiate.
“And when you reach that conclusion sometimes it is so stable.
“The irony of it is that, in this case, many of the people who are now calling for war or intervention in Niger, actually if you look at them, they too staged coups in their countries. Some were military leaders who have now ‘civilianise’, some are civilians but they staged civilian coup by distorting the constitution, and by getting themselves into office for so many years.
“We have not exhausted all those options yet, we have to exhaust those options first before opting for war.
“And in any case, war should not be an option,” he said.
According to Fagge, people welcome democratic government because it allows for freedom of expression and it comes about as a result of the concept of the people and also it is the people that decide who would rule them.
“Democracy is important in the eyes of the people. It is a government that engenders development. This is because it is accountable to the people, it promotes development and peace.
“Once you have people there are bound to be differences,” he said.
Fagge warned that the conflict portends serious economic implications for both the country and the region at large, adding the closure of Nigeria’s borders with Niger Republic compounded the problem of hunger and poverty among its citizens.
“Nigeriens get most of their things here and Nigeria is also bearing the brunt of this decision.
“It has been estimated that Nigeria loses not less than N13 billion every week by stopping trade with Niger.
“And there are speculations that Nigeria and Niger trade is a formal trade that accounts for over N170 billion annually.
“While the informal trade between the two countries accounts for over N580 billion annually.
“So, when you put these things together, it range from N900 billion to about N1 trillion that we are going to lose in terms of trade.
“Most of the people to be affected are Nigerians who are business people transacting all sorts of businesses with Nigeriens.
“This has serious economic implications for both countries and for the region as a whole,” he said
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The Kano State House of Assembly has expressed concern over what it described as injustice and regional imbalance in the ongoing recruitment exercise conducted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The lawmakers alleged that the process heavily favoured states from the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West region, at the expense of the North.
The concern followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Majority Leader, Alhaji Lawan Hussaini Dala, during Thursday’s plenary session.
Presenting the motion, Dala said the recruitment exercise violated the principles of Federal Character meant to ensure equity and fair representation in federal employment.
He said that out of a total of 1,785 persons recruited nationwide, the South-West received more than half of the total slots, describing the distribution as “grossly unfair and unacceptable.”
According to him, Lagos got 207 slots, Ogun 145, Ondo 132, Osun 127, Oyo 108 and Ekiti 93 — making a total of 812 recruits from the South-West alone.
“In comparison, the North-West received only about seven per cent of the total recruitment, with Kano getting 31, Katsina 20, Jigawa 18 and Zamfara 16,” he said.
Dala said the entire northern region got only 651 slots, while the majority were allotted to southern states.
He called on the House to officially communicate its position to relevant federal authorities, including the National Assembly, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and the Nigeria Customs Service, to demand a review of the exercise in the interest of fairness and inclusivity.
The Majority Leader warned that continued regional imbalance in federal employment could fuel mistrust and threaten national unity.
Other members who contributed to the debate supported the motion and urged northern lawmakers at the National Assembly to take up the matter for redress.
They stressed that equitable representation in federal recruitment remained vital to sustaining Nigeria’s unity and promoting a sense of belonging among citizens.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Alhaji Jibril Ismail Falgore, commended Dala for raising the motion, describing it as patriotic and in defence of justice and fairness.
He directed the relevant House Committee to investigate the recruitment figures and report back for further legislative action.
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500 NNPP supporters defect to APC in Kano
Defection
Kano, Five hundreds of members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) from Fagge and Ungogo Local Government Areas of Kano State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Managing Director of the Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Development Authority, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, received the defectors on Tuesday, saying their move reflects growing confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership and APC’s progressive vision.
Bichi noted APC’s development-oriented policies were attracting Nigerians, citing defection of some governors as testament to the party’s strength.
He assured new members of equal opportunity and integration into APC, saying no member would be marginalized.
Bichi highlighted APC-led government’s visionary policies on food security and economic growth, noting Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin’s modern irrigation techniques align with Tinubu’s food security agenda.
Former APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, represented by Kano APC Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, commended defectors for joining APC, assuring them of sustainable development commitment.
Kano Central APC Chairman Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Ungogo said Tinubu’s policies had boosted Nigeria’s economy, restoring public confidence in APC.
Defectors cited APC’s developmental strides and commitment to improving Nigerians’ lives as reasons for their move, expressing optimism it would enhance party’s grassroots strength ¹ ² ³.
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MD Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Welcomes Hundreds of NNPP Members into APC
By Ahmed Mohammad Kano
The Managing Director of the Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Development Authority, Eng.Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, on Tuesday received hundreds of defectors from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Fagge and Ungogo Local Government Areas of Kano State.
Speaking at the reception ceremony, Bichi said the mass defection was a clear indication of the growing confidence Nigerians have in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the progressive vision of the APC.
He noted that Nigerians were increasingly embracing the party due to its development-oriented policies, adding that the recent defection of some state governors to the APC was further proof of the party’s strength and national appeal.
Bichi assured the new members of equal opportunity and full integration into the party, stating that no member would be marginalized.
He said the APC-led Federal Government had introduced visionary policies aimed at uplifting the welfare of citizens, particularly in areas of food security and economic growth.
Highlighting the contributions of the Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Development Authority, the Managing Director revealed that modern irrigation techniques have been introduced in line with President Tinubu’s food security agenda and efforts to boost agricultural productivity.
In a goodwill message, the immediate past National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, represented by the Kano State APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, commended the defectors for their decision to join the ruling party.
He assured them that they would not regret their decision, as the APC remains committed to delivering sustainable development across the country.
Also speaking, the Kano Central APC Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Ungogo, who represented Abbas, said President Tinubu’s policies had significantly boosted the nation’s economy, thereby restoring public confidence in the APC.
Some of the defectors, while speaking to journalists, said their decision was influenced by the developmental strides of the APC-led government and the party’s commitment to improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
They expressed optimism that their defection would contribute to the party’s grassroots strength and overall success in future elections.
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